2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR RECALL 06V253000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,200. UPDATED 01/31/11/ *BF UPDATED 04/20/11

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED ON 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (4WD) (65,220 MI) WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE. VEHICLE INSTANTANEOUSLY LOST SPEED (TO 30 MPH) & WE NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING RUN OVER BY SEMITRAILER AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DUE TO CONFIGURATION OF ROAD - ONLY SPORADIC SHOULDERS BECAUSE OF TERRAIN - THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. CAR STUCK IN TRAVEL LANES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. REPAIRING DEALER ASSERTED THAT THE PART HAD NO FLUID REMAINING DUE TO SEAL LEAK. VEHICLE WAS LAST SERVICED BY LOCAL DEALER ~2,000 MILES EARLIER (63,226 MI) WITH NO LEAKAGE SEEN. ENTIRE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL / TRANSFER CASE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED (STILL HAVE PART). CAR WAS TOTALLY INSPECTED BY REPAIRING DEALER AT THE TIME (65,220 MI) AND NO OTHER PROBLEMS FOUND. ONE MONTH LATER FOUND FLUID PUDDLE IN DRIVEWAY (66,216 MI). DEALER INVESTIGATED AND REPORTED THAT THE INSPECTION PLUG ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS RAPIDLY LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID. TOLD NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE TILL PLUG AND GASKET REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE OK NOW. SO, WITHIN A MONTH AND 1,000 MI USE, BOTH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL RAPIDLY LOST FLUIDS. I SUSPECT BAD GASKETS WERE USED IN MANUFACTURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IDLING AT A STOP SIGN, WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CONTACT NOTICED NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH SURGING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS BEING FILED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

I AM APPROACHING 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENS ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAS AN OPAQUE SPOT ABOUT ONE INCH IN DIAMETER DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE HIGHBEAM LIGHT BULB. TOYOTA HAS RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM SINCE APRIL 15, 2008 AS EVIDENCED BY TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0036-08 DATED APRIL 15, 2008. WHEN YOU GOOGLE THE BULLETIN IT WILL BECOME APPARENT THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS FOR SOME 2004 TO 2007 MODELS, A SPAN OF THREE YEARS. THE BULLETIN WILL ALSO SHOW THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS IF COMPLAINED ABOUT DURING THE 36,000 / 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD. I AM OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND IN FEAR THAT IT WILL COST ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPAIR A DESIGN DEFECT THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. FROM WHAT I READ FROM OTHER POSTERS TOYOTA'S ATTITUDE APPEARS TO BE IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. *TR

THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FAILED AT 94,000 MILES. WE HEARD STRANGE NOISES FROM THE REAR END AND ASKED OUR MECHANIC TO CHECK. HE INDICATED THAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS "CUPPED" AND SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT. SINCE IT WAS TIME FOR NEW TIRES ANYWAY, WE DID THAT BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED. UPON RETURNING TO THE MECHANIC HE DUG FURTHER AND REPORTED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE WORN, THE LEFT (TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS) MORE THAN THE RIGHT, TO THE POINT THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FROM WHO WE PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSIS AND WE ARRANGED FOR THE NEEDED REPAIRS. WHEN WE ASKED THE DEALER AND TOYOTA DIRECTLY WHETHER THIS WAS PROBLEM THEY HAD SEEN BEFORE THEY INDICATED IT WAS JUST WEAR AND TEAR AND BASICALLY, OUR HARD LUCK. *TR

2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WOULD NOT PASS 2010 MASSACHUSETTS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO FAULTY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THERE IS FOG IN THE LENS AND NIGHT TIME LIGHT IS IMPAIRED???? TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THE $900 EXPENSE TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THIS EXPENSE AS WELL. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005 - 4 CYL DRIVING IN THE RAIN, OVER PUDDLES OF WATER THAT CREATE A SPLASH UP TO ABOUT 3/4 THE HEIGHT OF THE TIRE (PASSENGER SIDE), WILL CAUSE THE DISCHARGE WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON AND CAUSE LOSS OF POWER STEERING (HARD TO TURN). SUDDENLY, THE WARNING LIGHT WILL GO OFF AND POWER STEERING WILL RETURN. THIS IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE AND I JUST NOTICED THIS ISSUE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN. THE FAULT IS REPEATABLE AS I NOTICED IT FOR A SECOND TIME TODAY, AND I MANAGED TO HAVE IT REPEAT THE FAILURE EVERY TIME. THIS FAILURE CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IN A RAINSTORM IT WILL BE TYPICAL TO CREATE A SPLASH WHEN TURNING INTO ANOTHER STREET, AS IT IS COMMON FOR WATER TO POND AT THE TURN. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WILL CAUSE THE DRIVER TO TURN THE WHEEL HARDER, AND WHEN THE POWER STEERING RETURNS, THEN THE VEHICLE WILL LIKELY OVERSTEER AND SPIN OUT OR HIT ANYTHING ON THE DIRECTION THAT IT IS OVERSTEERED INTO. THIS INCIDENT ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN I WAS TURNING IN THE RAIN. THE FIRST WAS INADVERTENT AND AT A HIGHER SPEED SINCE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING (A FEW WEEKS AGO). THE SECOND TIME OCCURRED TODAY. AFTER THE INCIDENT I TRIED TO RECREATE THE FAILURE, THIS TIME SINCE I WAS EXPECTING IT, I DID SO MORE SLOWLY BUT WITH THE SAME RESULT THAT WILL LIKELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE VEHICLE YET SINCE I HAVE JUST NOTICED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE AND HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MAKES, AND NONE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH SPLASHING WATER CAUSING WHAT IS PROBABLY A SHORT AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AFTER DRIVING INTO THE GARAGE, I OPEN THE HOOD AND LOOK FROM THE TOP, FROM THE TOP EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE DRY. THE OTHER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH LARGER SPLASHES, WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE IN HER GARAGE AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED. HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED TO PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE WALL. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE FRONT END DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE AN INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE INVESTIGATOR ADVISED THE RESULTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,600.

HEATER RUNS ERRATICALLY--BLOWING FINE AND THEN SWITCHING TO COLD AIR AND THEN IF I "JIGGLE" THE CONTROL CAN GET HEAT AGAIN. HAD THE DEALER REPAIR IN FALL OF 2009 (ABOUT $95), BUT IT HAS STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN. *TR

2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ERRATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL FROM HEATER. WHEN SET ON COOL WILL SUDDENLY BLOW HOT AIR AND VICE VERSA. ON-LINE COMPLAINTS INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE CONTROL UNIT IN THIS AND OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES OVER SEVERAL YEARS. THE CONTROL KNOW COMES LOOSE AND THEN THE WIRING BEHIND IT BREAKS FROM THE CIRCUIT BOARD RESULTING IN ERRATIC AIR TEMPERATURES. I ALSO HAVE CONCERN THAT THIS ELECTRICAL FAILURE COULD CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL SHORTS OR PROBLEMS. DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE CONTROL UNIT AT PRICES RANGING FROM $500 TO $1500. ON-LINE CONSUMERS REPORT FIX ONLY REQUIRES RESOLDERING THE 3-WIRE CONTACTS AT A COST OF A FEW DOLLARS. IT IS OBVIOUS TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE RELATIVELY EASY FIX DOCUMENTED WITH PICTURES ON-LINE BUT CONTINUES TO DENY THAT IT IS THEIR PROBLEM. IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT CHARGING OWNERS HUGE FEES FOR REPLACING A SIMPLE COMPONENT SEEMS TO BE WHAT TOYOTA FEELS IS THE APPROPRIATE SOLUTION. *TR